Fishway



June 18, l929 F. w. PROVINCE ET A1.

FISI-IWAY4 Filed March 2s', 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet HIII Il K June 18, 1929. F. w. PROVINCE ET AL 1.718.181

FISHWAY l Filed March 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Shes?, 1 2

Patented June 18, 1929.

Unirse STATES l lfldi PATENT OFFICE.

l' FRANK W. PROVINCE AND WINFORD C. BARNES, OF CAMAS, WASHINGTON.

FISHWAY.

Application filed March 23, 1927. Serial No. 177,634.

Our invention relates to fish ladders or fish-ways7 located at dams to enable the fish to get to spawning grounds located above the dam.

The difficulty with artificial fish-ways heretofore has been that no consideration was given to the travel of the small fish down stream.

The object of our invention is to simulate 10 the fish-way provided by nature; namely, the creek descending-down a hill or mountain. In short, we propose to provide a narrow stream of water flowing on a winding or Zigzag course, and having a gradual fall from a higher to a rlower level. Also, to simulate nature by providingdeep and shallow places in the cross section of the stream, so that the larger fish may swin in the deeper portions while traveling up stream to the spawning grounds, and the smaller fish may safely traveldown the stream in the shallow portions. f i

Itis further our purpose to simulate nature Yin providing a stream of water having a rate of fiow similary to a mountain creek; such being accomplishedrby giving our fish-way a gradual grade; also we keep the flowing waters cool by protecting its surface from the .suns rays; also provide pools along the course of our fish-way in which the fish may rest.

. Our inventionis especially applicable in order to provide an artificial creelasit were, leading from a lower to an uppersurface,

where the head-waters arey impounded by a dam to provide water power. -V

These objects of our invention are attained by the building of a winding flume of angular cross-section, withv theffloor of the fiume inclined preferably inward so as to carry the deepest water on the interior` side of the flume, and the water. becoming more and more shallow towards, and finally tending to vspill over, the outer side of the. flume, in that way keeping the flowing water cool.

Further, the floor of the upper sectionsof the flume, is arranged to project and overhang the fiume sections disposed at a` lower level, thereby to protect one side of the flume from the suns rays, thus keeping the water cool. The flume is further constructed to provide pools along its course in which kthe fish may swim about and rest on the way, as already mentioned.

These features are incidental details of the construction of ourv fish-way, and the arrangement of its parts, we have illustrated 1n the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l shows in diagrammatic perspective, our fish-way located just below the dam impounding the head waters of a river, adjacent a lock; our fish-way being constructed to serve at the same time as a power station;

Fig. 2 shows a central section in a vertical plane parallel with the dam;

Fig. 3 shows a partial plan section of the upper level of our fish-way where it connects with the top of the adjacent dam; the section being taken just below the deck covering, the bridge connecting the upper level of our fish run-way with the top of th-e dam; y

Figs. f to 8 show cross-sections of those portions of the water run-way with which these figures are connected by dotted lines respectively;

Fig. 9 illustrates the arrangement of certain portions of the fiume so as to provide a pool and resting place for the fish along the course;

Fig. 10 shows a fragment of the far side of l80 the dam and illustrates a detail of construction; f v

Fig. 1l illustrates our fish-way built in the form of a zig-Zag course; and

Fig. l2 shows a cross-section at the point l2 of Fig. 1l. 4

Preferably, we construct the supporting base of our fishway in the form of a'cone, as shown in Fig. l, but this is a mere matter of preference, which may be followed or not, as deemed best by the builder of our invention.

The essential features of our fish-way are that a structure a be provided formed with a winding flume b about its periphery, having a gradual rise from the lower to the upper levels. j i

The floor of the fiume is sloped transversely preferably inwardly, whereby the body of water carried by the flume will have its greatest depth at the-inner side of the fiume and thus accommodate the larger fish, and the floor will thence taper towards the outer side of the fiume, and as a result provide more shallow waters adjacent the outer side of the flume for the smaller fish, which in that way are protected from their natural enemies, the larger fish, since the latter cannot enter the more shallow waters. y

This construction is illustrated by Fig. 2. Preferably, the depth of the flume is so arranged, relatively to the amount of water which courses through it, that the water tends to overflow the rim of the outer side of the flume in that way tending to lreep the waters of the flume cool.

Furthermore, the upper' courses of the flume are arranged so as to project over and overhang the lower courses as also illustrated by Fig. 2, thereby to shade the waters at the inner side ofthe flume from the rays of the sun,

f and thus help to keep the waters cool.

In order to simulate the shady places along the course of the mountain creek, where running under overhanging branches of trees and shrubs, these outer sides of the flume may be provided with pockets to hold earth and vegetation planted therein as illustrated at d, in Figs. l, 2 and'9. l

ln order to provide resting pools along vthe course of our fiume, it is provided with enlargements as illustrated by c in Fig. 2, and by the enlarged lfragmentary plan section of our Hume, Fig. 9.

ln Fig. l our iish-way is illustrated as beinginstalled adjacent a dam e impounding the waters It is assumed that these waters are connected by means of a lock g with the Waters at the lower portion of the stream.

At the top of the dam is provided a water run-way L, extending to the wall of the lock z', and a branch j of the run-way 7L connects the top of the dam with the uppermost course of our fish-way Z).

These water-run-ways are also so arranged so as to contain waters of varying depth, thus accommodating larger fish, and providing shallower water in which the smaller fish may seek refuge in coming down stream. y To this end the iioors of the said run-ways 'are also sloped in cross-sectionsimilar to the construction above decribed of our fiume. These details beingillustrated by the crosssectional views 5 to 8 inclusive. In this connection it will be noted thatv at the crosssection represented by Fig. 6, the water runway has uniform depth which is unavoidable under the circumstances, but since this uniform depth extends for only a short distance the smaller fish, by watching their opportunity will be able to get across when not menaced by the proximity of larger fish.

As illustrated by Fig. 10, the openings n between the arches p at the top of the dam, on its far side, extend down to the bottom of the floor, so that the big fish can swim out to deep water through these openings.

In order to shade the run-way of the dam and the connecting bridge j therefrom to the uppermost course of our fish-way, the runways may be decked by a road-way m, which at the same time would facilitate travel from our fish-way to and over the dam to the adjacent shore.`

Our {ish-way structure may be so built as to house turbines'for -converting` water-power into electric power, such use of our fish-way being diagrammatically illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2. When our fish-way is intended for housing a power plant, it will, of course, be hollow, and the water will flow through the tube t to the turbines and will be discharged through outlets lo in the base of the structure. The top of our structure may also be used to great advantage as a fish hatchery.

Referring now to Figs. l1 and 12, these merely illustrate another manner in which our invention may be carried into practice.

The details are the same, and thus the arrangement of the cross section of the floor of Y the fiume, the resting pools, and the pockets to contain earth for bushes and plants are indicated by the same reference characters as used in describing the conical type of structure. But if an over-hanging shadow-producing effect is desired one wall of the fiume must be constructed as indicated byv 0 in Figures 11 and l2.

Vile claim: e

l. A sh-way comprising l a structure formed with a winding fiume havingv a gradual rise from the lower to the upper levels and the floor of the flume sloping transversely whereby the body of water carried by the fiume will have its greatest depth at y one side of the flume to accommodate the larger fish, and becomes more and more shallow towards the other side of the fiume. Y Y

2. A fish-way comprising a structure formed with a winding flume having a gradual rise from the lower to the upperv levels, the floor ofthe flumel sloping transversely whereby the body of water Acarried by the fiume will have its greatest depth at one side of the fiume to accommodate the larger fish, and becomes more and more shallow towards the other side of the fiume, the upper courses being spaced from the lower-by intermediate wall sections, and the floors of the upper courses of the flume projecting yand overhanging the lower courses thereby to shade the latter. l

3. A fish-way comprising a structure formed with a winding fiume having `a gradual rise from the lower to the upper levels, the floor of the flume sloping'ftransversely whereby the body of water carried by the flume will have its greatest depth at one'side of the flume to accommodate the larger, fish, and becomes more and more shallow towards the other side of the flume, and thev flume being provided with enlargements constituting resting pools along its course."

4. A fisheway comprising a structure formed with a winding' flume having a gradual rise from the lower to the xupper levels, the floor of the fiume sloping transversely whereby the body of water carried by the flume will have its greatest depth at one side of the flume to accommodate the larger fish, and becomes more andmore shallow towards the other side of the flume, the upper courses being spaced from the lower by intermediate wall sections, and the floors of the upper courses of the flume projecting and. overhanging the lower courses thereby to shade the latter, and t-he flume being provided with enlargements constituting resting pools along its course.

5. A fish-way comprising a conical structure arranged to provide a flume winding about the perimeter of the struct-ure and having a gradual rise from the lower to the upper levels.

6. A fish-way comprising a conical structure arranged to provide a flume winding about the perimeter of the structure having a gradual rise from the lower to the upper levels and the floor of the flume sloping transversely, whereby the body of water carried by the fiume will have its greatest depth at one side of the flume to accommodate the larger fish, and becomes more and more shallow towards the outer side of the flume.

7. In combination with a dam a fish-way leading to the head waters above the dam, said iish-way comprising a structure formed with a winding flume having a gradual rise from the lower to the upper levels, the dam provided with a water run-way at the top and a branch run-way therefrom connecting with the uppermost course of said flume.

8. In combination with a dam, a sh-way leading to the head waters above the dam, said fish-way comprising a structure formed with a winding flume having a gradual rise from the lower to the upper levels, the floor of the flume sloping transversely whereby the body of water carried by the flume will have its greatest depth at one side of the flume to accommodate the larger fish, and becomes more and more shallowl towards the other side of the flume, the dam provided with a water run-way at the top and a branch run-way therefrom connecting with the uppermost course of said fiume' and said water run-ways also arranged in transverse section like said flume for the purpose described.

9. A fish-way comprising a structure comprising a winding wall provided with laterally proj ecting continuous troughs grad ually rising from the lower to the upper levels, the troughs of the upper levels overhanging those of the lower, thereby to shade the latter.

FRANK W. PROVINCE. WINFORD C. BARNES. 

